7s Rugby World Cup – USA WNT Roster

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McCoy Names Squad for Inaugural Women’s RWC Sevens

Following a series of exhibition matches versus the New Zealand Maori over the weekend, USA Rugby Women?s Sevens National Team Head Coach has named the team she will take to the inaugural Women?s Rugby World Cup Sevens in Dubai, March 6-7.

Coming off an emotional overtime loss to England in the International Women?s Sevens Final in San Diego on Feb. 14, the team returned to its residency program in Little Rock to continue its RWC Sevens preparations, training two-a-days for three consecutive days building into its exhibition showing versus the NZ Maori Women on Saturday.

The USA Women went 0-2-1 in their three matches against the NZ Maori, which were held as a thank you to the city of Little Rock and the local rugby community for hosting the team during their RWC training.

Despite defeating their New Zealand counterparts 12-0 in San Diego, the U.S. short in Little Rock, tying 14-14 in the first game, and falling 14-7 and 21-0 in the remaining matches. Two state representatives, the Mayor of Little Rock and even a New Zealand Ambassador, attended the games, giving the teams much to be proud of in spite of the scorelines.

All in all, the day was quite successful,? McCoy said. ?The NZ Ambassador and his wife celebrated the end of residency with us, and after many gift presentations, the Maori players sang a traditional song for the crowd.?

I would like to thank the people of Little Rock, the Greater Little Rock, Inc., Rugby community, Steve Worley and Brian Cox, our physios, and Dr Jan Dean, our Sports Psychologist, for their contributions to the success of the first ever Women’s Rugby Residency Prep for a World Cup! In addition, I would also like to thank the Canyon Pharmaceutical Company for their generous contribution to our program,? she added.

Following this final evaluation, McCoy has named the 12 players going to Dubai for the 2009 Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens.

The USA Team includes:
Amy Daniels, Boston, Mass. (Beantown)
Ellie Karvoski, Little Rock, Ark., (Little Rock)
Pam Kosanke, Chicago, Ill (Chicago Northshore)
Lauren Hoeck, Washington, DC (NOVA)
Teena Mastrangelo, Chicago, Ill. (Chicago Northshore)
Alison Price, New York, NY (New York)
Ines Rodriguez, Philadelphia, Pa. (Keystone)
Christy Ringgenberg, Minneapolis, Minn. (Minnesota Valkyries)
Jen Sinkler, Philadelphia, Pa. (Keystone)
Jen Starkey, Washington, DC (NOVA)
Jess Watkins, Palo Alto, CA (Stanford)
Kelly White, Belmont, Calif. (Belmont Shore)

Non Traveling Reserves:
Ida Bernstein, Balitimore, MD (Keystone)
Phaidra Knight, New York, NY (New York)

Noticeably absent from the squad are Lindsey Stephenson (at-large), who could not make a full recovery from injury in time for the RWC Sevens and Kirsten Ahrendt (Keystone), who sustained injury in San Diego. Jen Sinkler, Lauren Hoeck and Kelly White, who all played on the USA II side in San Diego have been given a nod on the RWC Sevens side, while Phaidra Knight has moved to the non-traveling reserves along with Ida Bernstein.

On Sunday, the players were in northern Arkansas participating in a ?high ropes? course before flying home for the week. The team will depart for Dubai on Sunday, March 1.

For a quick video of one of the matches in Arkansas against the Maori women, go here.

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